Teachers in Jharkhand's Dumka turn village into classroom

Government school teachers in Dumka’s Dumarthar village created blackboards on the walls of students’ houses to teach them while maintaining social distancing in view of coronavirus pandemic. Dumka deputy commissioner Rajeshwar B lauded the initiative and said it will motivate other teachers to adopt such methods.

Dumka: As colleges and educational institutions are closed due to coronavirus pandemic since March, government school teachers in Dumka’s Dumarthar village have found a new way to impart education to students who have no access to smartphones.

They created blackboards on the walls of students’ houses to teach them while maintaining social distancing in the view of coronavirus.

Sapan Kumar, Principal of Uttamad Middle School, came up with the idea of teaching students at their homes.

Speaking to ETV Bharat, Sapan Kumar said, "With 'Shiksha aapke dwaar' initiative more than 100 blackboards have been created on walls to teach students at their houses. There is a huge impact on education due to COVID-19. Students here did not have smartphones. We started ‘shiksha aapke dwaar’ (education at your doorstep) to provide education to children while maintaining social distancing. More than 100 blackboards have been created on walls to teach students at their houses,” a teacher said.

Dumka deputy commissioner, Rajeshwar B lauded the initiative and said that she will motivate other teachers to adopt this method.

"Our teachers are adopting new methods. Since schools are closed, content is being sent to students on WhatsApp. But in many areas, there are no smartphones at students' houses. This initiative should be lauded. We will motivate other teachers to adopt this kind of methods," she said.

Shiksha Saadhan Sevi Lakshman Rawat said that such teaching methods need to be implemented in every remote village.

Speaking about her experience, Parvati, a student of class 6 said, "Our schools are closed due to the Covid-19 pandemic, so we study in our village itself. Our teachers explain to us the concepts that we do not understand and clear our doubts."

Schools and educational institutions in the country are closed in the country since March. However, in the Unlock 4 guidelines, the ministry of home affairs said that students of classes 9 to 12 may be permitted to visit their schools, in areas outside the containment zones only, on a voluntary basis, for taking guidance from their teachers and this will be subject to the written consent of their parents or guardians.

(with inputs from agencies)